Business Tip: Who is your Ideal Customer or Client?

This tip might be a little too obvious to many, but it is a fact that when I ask this question I get a reply “EVERYONE” almost every time! This is totally wrong and let me explain why.

We all know most business owners don’t really know the difference between marketing and sales. Here I want to talk about marketing, and how it can help you move your business forward in 2015.

Marketing is the DNA of all sales and business. If you don’t tell people who you are, and what you do then you won’t find any business! Too often, marketing budgets and the practice of marketing are the first things to be cut out of a budget or over looked. Even in busy periods, some business owners simply let their marketing slip thinking that marketing is only important when things are bad, and then the marketing efforts are too late as it takes time to get a return.

Marketing can be an expensive process, but if you know who your ideal customer or client is, then you can easily use simple low cost marketing tools to target them and not waste any money on marketing to people who will never buy from you.

So to getting to know your ideal client can be challenging, but also worth the effort. Just ask yourself the following questions —
First and foremost — Is there a need for what I sell or offer? This is a very important question. Do I solve any particular problem or pain? This you should know in advance!

Then, you need to know –
• What is the clear message and image I want to send out
• How does what I do or sell benefit my customers or clients
• What is my USP?
• Why buy from ME and not my competitors

Then
• Who benefits from my product or service
• Who can afford my products or service
• Who is already using products or services I provide
• Where is the strongest need for what I provide or sell

Then once you have this information then ask yourself these questions
• What kind of habits does my target customers or clients have
• Do they use social media
• Read magazines
• Are they parents
• Do they own a house
• What kind of income will your target clients have

This list is endless, and the key here is to ask as many questions as possible. This will really focus on who you need to contact first and can help you build your marketing strategy.

You may have a database of 1,000 people, but imagine you can only afford to speak with 10 of them. Which ones fit the profile you have built? Not only does this make you focus, but also saves you heaps of time and saves you lots of money. It really is that simple!

Imagine a street with 1,000 houses. You own a double glazing business. Now, not all these people are going to buy from you. Some of them already have a full house of double glazing, some have part and some have none at all. Which of the houses are you going to try and sell to? — Obvious isn’t it? Now this is where sales and marketing can get confused. You could simply knock on the doors of the houses that don’t have any double glazing.

Two things can happen.
1. Someone answers the door, you start your sales pitch, but then they reply — “I have never heard of you, we need glazing, but we are going to use Everest! We know who they are, we can trust them”
2. Nobody is at home. SO you push your well designed sales literature through the letter box.

Without being a skilled sale person, which would you prefer? I personally would go for option 2. Why, because the next time I knock at the door, they will have heard about my company, if they have kept the literature. I would also make sure that I have got the address, and send them a personal letter about what we do. This is marketing, and closing the deal is making the sale.

If you have a solid call of action in your sales literature, a great website, a great offer, good quality service and all the bells and whistles, you can influence the buying process before you have even met the customer face to face. This is why marketing is the DNA to all sales.

This is why marketing is so important to EVERY business, no matter how big or small. If you would like to talk to someone about marketing your business, then please feel free to call me on 07898 870 870.

Comments

This is a great insight to how you need to target your ideal customer. Most of us know what we need to do, but having this to read just reminds me, and underlines what needs to be done. Many thanks – Emma